Worldwide Sports News

With the World Series headed into its final week, the look ahead at the postseason is starting to clear up. Teams have probably about wrapped up most of their offseason meetings in preparation for this offseason where they decide which route they plan on taking for the season to come. That means decisions on tendering contracts and making qualifying offers.

For the Phillies, the biggest decision they have is whether or not they should be offer Alec Bohm a qualifying offer. If you aren’t sure, a team can offer a qualifying offer to a player that, should he accept it rather than go into free agency, entitles him to a large one-year deal before going back into free agency the following season. This year, that number has crested $23 million, which is insane to think about. Should the player not take the deal, he heads into free agency with something of an anchor on his back. Any team that signs that player will be forced to take on some penalties, those penalties varying depending on who signs him. The Phillies then would be compensated with some extra draft picks, presumably to spend them on low cost college relievers that don’t have great strikeout rates.

Seems like an easy decision until one thinks about the amount of money it would cost. While it’s mostly true there is no such thing as a bad one-year deal, there is a bad way to spend that money included in a one-year deal. Handing over $23 million to Bohm is probably one of those bad ways, but that’s where the question comes into play today: should the Phillies offer Bohm a qualifying offer this offseason? It would be nice to have that draft pick compensation once July rolls around, but the idea of tying up that much money on a player with a limited skillset seems not the best way to spend that much money.

This morning, Major League Baseball named Francisco Lindor the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award recipient. The Clemente Award, per the press release provided by MLB, is “the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” The press release also refers to the award as ‘Major League Baseball’s most prestigious individual player honor.“

This is Lindor’s fourth nomination as a Met for the Clemente Award.

Mets fans need no primer on the work Lindor does for the community, and as part of this award, presenting sponsor Capital One is donating $100,000 to SEEN Foundation. From SEEN’s website, the organization “advance[s] disability advocacy and self-advocacy by promoting access to text based Assistive Technology Communication supports.” Lindor and his wife, Katia, do work with SEEN, as well as many other charities in the New York area.

Lindor is now the fifth Met to receive the Clemente Award since its 1971 inception, following in the footsteps of Gary Carter (1989), Al Leiter (2000), Carlos Delgado (2006), and Curtis Granderson (2016).

Congratulations to Lindor, and read the full press release below.

FRANCISCO LINDOR NAMED RECIPIENT OF THE2026 ROBERTO CLEMENTE AWARD PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE

Mets Star Recognized for Extraordinary Contributions to Education, Youth Leadership, Disaster Relief in Puerto Rico and Support for Queens Youth

Presenting Sponsor Capital One Donates $100,000 to SEEN Foundation

Tampa, Florida – Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets has been named the 2026 recipient of Major League Baseball’s most prestigious individual player honor, the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One. Deepening its commitment to the award’s impact, Capital One is donating $100,000 to SEEN Foundation in honor of Lindor’s achievement. Lindor was nominated by the Mets for his unwavering dedication to service, education, youth development and community leadership. Lindor will be formally presented with the Roberto Clemente Award at Tropicana Field before tonight’s Game Three of the World Series presented by Capital One. 

A devoted husband and father of three, Francisco’s greatest source of pride is his family. Whether on the field at Citi Field or in the community, he leads with humility, compassion and purpose alongside his wife, Katia. Katia serves as an active co-leader across the family’s philanthropic initiatives, working together with Francisco to design and execute outreach efforts, mentor young people and engage directly with local community organizations. As a proud Puerto Rican native, Francisco shares a connection to Roberto Clemente through their Puerto Rican roots and a commitment to making a difference beyond the game. With his selection, Francisco becomes the fifth recipient of Puerto Rican descent to receive the Roberto Clemente Award since its inception in 1971, joining a distinguished group of past honorees that includes Edgar Martinez (2004), Carlos Delgado (2006), Carlos Beltrán (2013) and Yadier Molina (2018). 

While recognized as one of baseball’s top players and a five-time All-Star; four-time Silver Slugger; two-time Rawlings Gold Glover and Heart and Hustle Award recipient, Francisco’s legacy, like Clemente’s, is defined by the lives they impact through service, generosity and leadership:

• Capital One’s $100,000 donation, presented in honor of Francisco Lindor, will directly support the SEEN Foundation, an organization with which Francisco and his wife, Katia, are working to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young people. The contribution will help advance SEEN Foundation’s mission and expand its efforts to empower youth, create opportunities and foster positive community impact. Through this donation, Lindor and Katia’s commitment to giving back will continue to support the organization’s work and help further its long-term impact in the communities it serves.
• Lindor’s Leaders Program (est. 2026) — Launched in partnership with New Balance, this year-long leadership development initiative for students in Bayside High School’s Sports Medicine Program focuses on mental health, communication, teamwork, and leadership. Lindor personally mentors participating students, equipping them with the confidence to lead in their schools and communities.
• Support for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals — In 2026, Francisco partnered with Dairy Queen and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for Miracle Treat Day, raising critical funds for local children’s hospitals by donating directly to families in need $1 or more from every Blizzard Treat sold.
• Transformative Commitment to Education — A proud graduate of Montverde Academy, Lindor has donated more than $1 million since 2020 to build Lindor Hall, a two-story middle school building featuring state-of-the-art science and technology labs. He also established the Francisco Lindor Scholarship Fund to provide financial aid for students, remaining personally involved through mentorship, career guidance, annual PLAY BALL youth events, and equipment donations for the school’s baseball team.
• Disaster Relief and Advocacy for Puerto Rico — Deeply committed to his native Puerto Rico, Francisco provided essential financial support following Hurricanes Maria and Fiona, restored athletic facilities in his hometown of Caguas, and hosted youth clinics. He continues to partner with organizations including Team Rubicon, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, Players for the Planet, and Rescate Playas Borinquen for ongoing recovery and environmental conservation.
• Serving the Queens Community — Through an annual back-to-school initiative with New Balance, Lindor provides hundreds of students each year with backpacks and essential school supplies. Now in its third season, Lindor Smile Tuesdays welcomes youth organizations to Citi Field for educational experiences promoting dental health, wellness, self-confidence, and mentorship.
• Growing the Game — Passionate about making baseball accessible and inclusive, Francisco regularly participates in the Mets’ Clinic for Champions with Special Olympics Florida and hosts the Lindor Clinic for Kids for local youth leagues and Boys & Girls Clubs.

The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work was created in 1971 as the “Commissioner’s Award.” It was renamed to the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 to honor the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star who died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. 

Lindor was selected from a list of 30 Club nominees by a distinguished panel that included Commissioner Manfred, Roberto Clemente’s children, Enrique, Luis, and Roberto Jr., former players (including former Roberto Clemente Award winners), journalists from MLB-affiliated network & media partners, MLB Network, FOX Sports, NBC, ESPN, TBS, Netflix and MLB.com, and a representative from Capital One. Additionally, each year, fans are given the chance to vote via MLBTogether.com/clementeaward. Lindor was recognized as a nominee on Roberto Clemente Day presented by Capital One, which was held on September 15^th throughout Major League Baseball. Each September since 2002, Major League Baseball has commemorated Roberto Clemente Day to recognize Clemente Award nominees and celebrate the Hall of Famer’s unforgettable legacy. 

Meet the Mets

An off-day in the World Series was the perfect time for Micah Noe to look back at the Gold Glove-nominated season of Luis Torrens.

A true reversal, the everyone’s favorite hot dogging sideline man Steve Gelbs took some questions of his own on the Mets’ YouTube channel.

Around the National League East

Equal parts remembering a Met and remembering a Guy, Danny Young was a member of the 2026 Atlanta Braves for a time.

Moving towards 2027, the Washington Nationals have up to five viable catchers and, of course, they gotta figure out what exactly to do with all of them.

Around Major League Baseball

You may have noticed the Tampa Bay Rays turning to dust before your eyes. The team is just as unhappy about it as you presumably are.

Naturally, the Rays and their players feel a comeback in their bones and, frankly, it wouldn’t shock me if it did happen.

Tonight in Game 3, Tropicana Field will host its first World Series game since Shea Stadium was technically an active ballpark.

Old Friend Freddy Peralta will take the mound for the Rays, taking on his…old friends.

On the other end, the Brewers always end up falling behind in the postseason and almost always end up making a comeback just as easily.

If you believe the Brewers, Brice Turang proclaimed himself a future Hall of Famer during initial contract negotiations. If you believe Turang, it never happened.

For Milwaukee fans, thinking of Bob Uecker during this series is ultimately more sweet than bitter.

Not even one of the longest shutout streaks in postseason history can keep Aaron Ashby from wanting to be a starting pitcher at one point or another in the future.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1998, the Mets signed Mike Piazza to the largest contract in Major League Baseball history.

Game 3 of the 2026 World Series is later today, and the scene shifts to Tampa Bay. The Rays hope some home cooking will turn the tide of the series, as the Brewers look very hard to beat as they have all season. It will be interesting to see what adjustments are made on both sides. No matter what, it should certainly be an interesting game to enjoy.

Braves News

Danny Young is the latest player review to enjoy for the 2026 season. There was a time this year that Young was given an opportunity to stick with the pen, but the performance was not up to par.

MLB News

Rocco Baldelli informed the Mariners that he no longer wanted to be in consideration for their managerial opening.

MLB.com looks at the specific questions that the Rays must answer in order find success against the Brewers.

Brewers Pitcher Quinn Priester continues to recover well from surgery.

The Dodgers could have used a player like Miguel Vargas this year.

Their lineup was starved for power at times and Vargas homered 31 times. Their team was old and Vargas was a 26-year-old All-Star.

Here’s the irony: Just two years ago, the Dodgers had Vargas on their roster.

But the Dodgers didn’t have an open corner-infield position for him. When they failed to turn him into an outfielder, they traded him.

Dealing Vargas wasn’t a mistake.

In the three-team trade that sent him to the Chicago White Sox, the Dodgers received Tommy Edman, who helped them win two World Series. And it’s not as if a position for Vargas would have opened up. Max Muncy remains at third base, Vargas’ primary position. Freddie Freeman is at first.

Talent is only one factor in replacing one generation of players with the next. Timing is equally important.

This will be particularly relevant for the Dodgers as they attempt to turn over their roster in the coming years.

They had the oldest team in the major leagues this year. And while their farm system is considered to be one of the best in baseball, they have a disproportionate number of outfielders among their top prospects, further complicating an already-difficult process.

“A lot of the major-league onboarding is hard,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “You can only get guys in Double A or Triple A up to the five- or 10-yard line. It’s hard to get them into the end zone to fully understand how to hit the ground running in the big leagues.”

A number of the Dodgers’ minor leaguers are already at the metaphorical red zone.

No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula was called up to the major leagues directly from Double A in September. In 11 regular-season games, he displayed an advanced knowledge of the strike zone for a 21-year-old, which led to him being included in the Dodgers’ postseason roster.

De Paula is an outfielder, as are the organization’s No. 2 and 3 prospects in the MLB Pipeline rankings, 21-year-old Eduardo Quintero and 23-year-old Mike Sirota.

Quintero spent most of this year at High A. Sirota started the season there, too, but finished in Triple A.

The Dodgers’ No. 6 and 7 prospects are also outfielders. Charles Davalan, 22, had a 24-homer season at High A. James Tibbs III, 24, homered 30 times at Triple A.

The major league team currently doesn’t have a vacancy in their starting outfield. Left fielder Teoscar Hernández and right fielder Kyle Tucker are under contract for next season. Center fielder Andy Pages remains under team control.

Tucker has three years and $175 million remaining on his contract, which makes him unmovable. Pages could be rewarded a $5 million salary next season in the arbitration process but would still be a major bargain at that price.

That makes Hernández as the likeliest player to be traded, as he will be entering the final season of his three-year contract. Shipping out Hernández would clear a spot for De Paula, but what about the team’s other outfield prospects?

Gomes pointed to how Davalan has been playing second base in the Arizona Fall League, which is basically a finishing school for top prospects. Increased versatility can better prepare players to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.

“A lot of it is there tends to be injuries or other things that happen where you look up and, ‘Oh, now we’re calling guys up from Double-A to Triple-A to fill time,’” Gomes said. “I think it’s going into a season having a plan and being able to adjust off of that.”

With experience at first base, Tibbs could be an insurance policy of sorts for 37-year-old Freeman.

De Paula, who is a notoriously weak defender, projects more as a designated hitter at this point and could be a backup for Shohei Ohtani.

“Things work themselves out,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “We’ve talked about this a lot. There are times where you wake up one day and you’re too left-handed. You start to address it. Wake up another day and say, ‘Wow, we’re too right-handed now.’ Things happen. Like right now, we have a really talented group of outfielders coming through our minor league system. There have been times where we haven’t. We also have a lot of really talented infielders coming as well, but for us it’s just about having as many many talented players as we can, and things tend to sort themselves out.”

Sometimes they work themselves out with a future All-Star being traded for a player who could be a solid contributor on a championship team.

That happens, Vargas’ case a prime example.

Happy Monday, everyone. It was quite a weekend for those who watched the World Series get underway in Milwaukee. While the match ostensibly pairs the two strongest teams in baseball, the Rays have been struggling mightily against the Brewers, making some truly egregious defensive gaffes that would look bad during the regular season but are doing them no favors in the World Series, especially. We’ve got more on that below, plus a look at the players proving to be difference-makers this postseason, a new World Series pitching record, and Stephen Vogt puts to bed any rumors he might be heading West.

Let’s get right into it!

Detroit Tigers News

• Not surprising at all. Just wish they’d been able to see some more wins.

• Hao-Yu Lee working this offseason.

MLB News

• What’s been working (and not working) for the Brewers and Rays this World Series?
• The unlikely hero who helped push the Brewers to a 2-0 series lead.
• For being the best teams in baseball, we saw some really questionable defense on display in Game Two of the World Series.
• A postseason report card for Stephen Vogt.
• Three ways the Rays can force a return to Milwaukee.
• Some key takeaways from Game Two.
• A look at the big velocity jump for Freddy Peralta this postseason.
• A Rays clubhouse attendant helped make a custom glove for a Buccaneers player.
• Meet the Brewers fan who walks to every single home game.
• How Aaron Ashby has proven to be the man the Brewers need when things get hairy.
• Ranking all 52 players in the World Series.
• Comparing the 2026 Brewers to the 1982 Brewers.
• Rob Manfred says despite a small-market World Series being good for baseball, a salary cap is still necessary.
• Jacob Misiorowski set a velocity record for World Series pitching this weekend.
• Ranking the worst commercials of the MLB postseason. ($)
• How players like Jackson Chourio and Junior Caminero bring excitement to the postseason.
• How the memory of Bob Uecker is making this Brewers run bittersweet. ($)
• Why do the Rays seem to be falling apart in the World Series? ($)
• That’s a lot of merch.

• Payton Tolle is having the time of his life as a postseason correspondent.

• Can’t say I expected to see a Marvel/MLB crossover.

Before I get into the meat of this article, I want to be clear that I think this has only a slightly higher chance of happening than the Cardinals signing Tarik Skubal, which is to say I don’t think there’s much of a chance at all. I’m also not necessarily advocating for it, but I am sort of intrigued at this kind of move, because there really aren’t many, if any, more impactful bullpen moves a team can make than sign Adrian Morejon, who provides lots of elite innings. And few teams had a worse bullpen than the Cardinals.

I had a great difficulty determining what Morejon’s future contract could be, which is a very important aspect on whether or not to sign him. It was easy enough to figure out his WAR estimates – until ZiPS comes along, any estimate will be imperfect, but I felt comfortable labeling him a 2 WAR reliever. Morejon enters this offseason at 28-years-old, so I estimated a four year contract, although five may very well be needed. 2 WAR reliever, 4 years. Should be easy to figure out that contract right?

Uh no. I do what I always do when estimating contracts, which is knock off half a win for each subsequent year, which is mostly accounting for injury. And while I’d love to pretend Morejon won’t decline at all for the sake of a more realistic contract, I’m very determined to maintain that it a reasonable thing to assume for a reliever, who is even more subject to randomness. Problem was this system spit out a 4 year, $50 million contract. That ain’t happening.

If I am adamant any future contract needs to bake in a normal decline, that means my WAR per dollar figure is wildly wrong. Relievers don’t fit under the same framework that starting pitchers and position players do. Edwin Diaz got 5 years, $100 million at 29-years-old with an opt-out after three years. Diaz was closing games and Morejon was not, which I do think matters with a future contract, so I don’t think he’s looking at $100 million, but he’s looking at more than $50 million. My point in bringing up Diaz was also that he was absolutely not projected for 10 wins when he signed that contract.

I did find a solution. According to Michael Rosen of Fangraphs, he looked into the overpaying of relievers, at least from a projected standpoint, and found that relievers in the 2020s got paid $15 million per projected win. There we go. At that price, Morejon is looking at a future contract of 4 years, $75 million. Technically, by my half a win deduction, adding a year to that would not actually add anything to that price. Because deducting half a win from his fifth year lands him at replacement level. Part of me also thinks 5 years is more realistic, at least in a normal free agent market without an impending lockout. This might be lowballing considering what Diaz got a few years ago, so it wouldn’t shock me if he got more, but I do think not closing will lower his potential price.

Estimated contract: 5 years, $80 million

A free agent profile on a specific reliever is a bit unusual, so I thought I’d stray from my usual format and instead list some reasons to sign Morejon and some reasons to not sign Morejon. First off, because he’s not really that well-known. If I’m proposing a $75 million contract to a reliever you’ve never heard of, it’d be best if I explained why exactly he might get that contract and why it might make sense for the Cardinals. And in the opposite direction, if you just see the best reliever on the market and a very weak bullpen he would help, maybe reasons not to sign him will ease the pain when the Cardinals do not sign him.

Reason to sign Morejon

Stats: 70 G, 74.1 IP, 27.3 K%, 7.3 BB%, 54.4 GB%, .288 BABIP, 2.58 ERA/2.46 FIP/2.98 xFIP, 3 saves, 20 holds, 2.1 fWAR

If you are wondering what those stats are, they are not his 2026 stats. I took the average of his last three seasons, because it really illustrates just how elite of a reliever he is. And he was actually better in 2026 than that average suggests. He threw 86 IP last season in 76 games played, so he is very accustomed to pitching multiple innings. At least in theory, you can use Morejon in the middle to late high leverage innings for however long you need him, which is very rarely true for an elite reliever on the free agent market, who is normally used to closing out games and thus being restricted for one inning and the 9th.

He also had his highest GB% of his career and his highest K% of his career last year. He was better than he’s ever been although he did have a 2.03 ERA in 2025 (2.83 last year). He’s going to be 28 in the first year of his deal, and if you look at the list of free agent relievers after him, literally all of them are 30 or older unless Andres Munoz’s club option is rejected (it won’t be). So you have the best reliever and the youngest reliever, who can throw an amount of innings that makes you think it’s 1986 and who is willing to throw in any high leverage spot, not just the 9th inning. If you’re ever going to break your sign big money reliever rule, this is the guy to do it for.

I do also believe the Cardinals should spend money in this offseason, but their needs and the strengths of the free agent market do not line up well. There are not very good 3B or CF options in free agency, and the non-Skubal starting pitchers are kind of underwhelming. Why not use money you should have to instantly and massively improve the bullpen, the weakest part of the team if you aren’t excited about the other free agents? Most free agent relievers are bad investments because they are 30 and older. This guy is 28.

I cannot emphasize enough that the ideal version of Morejon is absolutely worth the money, it’s just that we don’t trust relievers. For most relievers on this market and really any market, if I learned they were signed for more than $20 million, I grit my teeth and hope it works out. If the Cardinals announced they signed Morejon to 5 years, $80 million, I would be excited.

That’s my best case for signing him. Onto the reasons not to.

Reasons to not sign Morejon

I began this by learning that relievers get paid $15 million per projected win. That doesn’t actually mean they are worth that. That means that’s what teams pay them. So strictly speaking, my proposed contract? He’s not worth the money. Again at least from a projection standpoint. Also, he’s a reliever. Just because he’s been reliable and just because he’s 28 does not exclude him from playing in just about the most unreliable spot in baseball. And while it is a positive he has proven to be able to pitch in 70+ games, let’s just say an injury would not be unexpected.

From a roster construction standpoint, the Cardinals may very quickly have no need for a left-handed reliever. I’m not entirely sure of what their plan is with Cooper Hjerpe, but if they intend to put him in the MLB bullpen next year, he might look something like a poor man’s Morejon and his potential is Morejon. He’s not the only lefty they have. Brandon Clarke sure seems destined for the bullpen as well. I’m guessing due to his injuries, he’d be a more one inning guy, but he could be in the MLB bullpen sooner than you’d think.

As for a surefire left-handed reliever who might be elite as soon as the middle of next season, Sandro Santana exists. He struck out 36% of batters in a limited amount of innings in Memphis to end last season. He started last season in High A. I doubt he makes the Opening Day roster, but if he comes even close to duplicating how he pitched in both High A and AA, he’ll be in St. Louis by June.

There’s also Justin Bruhl, although I would never advocate for not signing Morejon because of Bruhl. Same goes for Brycen Mautz. Mason Molina might soon be relegated to the bullpen. The Cardinals simply have a lot of left-handed pitchers who will very quickly be in the bullpen and a few of them have a very high potential. It’s not specifically a problem for half your bullpen to be left-handed, but I don’t know that you would spend $80 million if you already had 3-4 lefties you expected to make an impact during the duration of that contract. (Fairly early on in that contract in fact)

*Oh yeah duh Matthew Liberatore is also left-handed and maybe headed to the bullpen

And just as one final point, the money paid to him wouldn’t be an issue in this offseason, because it means the Cardinals didn’t find a better way to spend the money, which is very plausible, but the idea that they couldn’t find better ways to spend the money in years 3, 4, and 5 than for a 30+ year old reliever? That could, in the future, present more of a problem.

Conclusion

I’ll let you decide for yourselves. Like I said, I would be excited if they did this. I find it hard to believe they would find better uses of this money in the first couple years of his deal, just because the way the team is set up, they have plenty of excuses to not use the money in general. So I sort of look at as “it’s either him or nobody.” Which is why I’m more open to it than I otherwise would be. On year 4 of the deal, he might actually prevent the Cardinals from signing someone.

They never do it, but more money upfront would ease my concerns in this respect. Just to take an extreme stance here, if Chaim Bloom is given $30 million to spend on players, and doesn’t love any other option, so he uses that money for year 1 of an $80 million deal, it’s unlikely the end of this contract looks all that bad, even if his first year salary looks ridiculous. Also more money upfront is how you entice him to come here in the first place. So it works out both ways.

Book Corner

Frank is Dead suggested I have a book corner, because sometimes whatever I’m reading compels me to share my thoughts, and my outlet has been the comment section. My intention for this section will be to share my thoughts on books I am currently reading, but since I have nothing new to share about Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow at the moment, how about future books? I bought four books this week, most of them motivated by Chernow in some way.

His Masterly Pen: A Biography of Jefferson the Writer – The Founding Father’s Words That Shaped Revolutionary America by Fred Kaplan

Despite the title, my understanding is that Kaplan is not afraid to get critical of Jefferson using his own words, which frequently contradicted his actions. I have already read a biography of Jefferson by Jon Meacham, but Kaplan’s premise was too good for me to pass up.

Alexander Hamilton: The Persistence of Myth by Stephen F. Knott

I could have gotten this from the Chernow biography, as this predated it by a couple years. But I just as easily could have gotten it from another source and don’t remember. It was certainly found because of the Hamilton biography one way or the other. I assume covering the lies told by Philip Freneau, sometimes fed by Jefferson, and of course others as well.

James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath

He is the next president on my journey to read presidential biographies. Like James Madison, there wasn’t a clear, definitive pick. The Harry Ammon version from 1970 is apparently very dull and not all that entertaining even though it’s informative and there’s also one by Harlow Unger that is apparently comically biased. This was written in 2020 so I’m hopeful.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingslover

I know literally nothing about this book, it was an impulse buy because I recognized the name of the book and I saw it won a Pulitzer.

Judging by this, you would think I almost exclusively read history books, but I do try to mix it up. In fact, because I try to mix it up, I don’t actually know when I will read any of the books I just bought. I already have something like 20 unread books at my house. Hopefully people enjoy this section, because I will sometimes use it selfishly, like asking for what books to read if I have multiple options or maybe I want to read from a particular author, but don’t know where to start. I had a goal to read 50 books by the end of the year and I have a lot of work left to do, so hopefully you guys will be impressed how quickly I seem to be reading. These 700 page books are not helping, as readable as it is.

The Milwaukee Brewers took a 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night on a check swing call to end the game. They, of course, came back from a 4-0 deficit and ended up winning 5-4. Now, the Series heads to the Trop as the Rays will look to even the series.

In Arizona, the Fall League is about half over. Jack O’Dowd (HM PuRP) continues to tear up the desert, and is making a push for the Fall Stars Game in two weeks. Jared Thomas (No. 8 PuRP) turned up the heat this week with five hits, nine RBI, two doubles and three triples. Fidel Ulloa and Konner Eaton (No. 28 PuRP) continue to keep runners off the board, as neither has given up an earned run yet. Earon has racked up three strikeouts across seven innings of work, while Ulloa has seven across 5.1 innings.

But here’s what’s going on in the baseball world this week:

Rockies News & Links

O’Dowd power surge turning heads in Fall League | MLB.com

Jack O’Dowd (HM PuRP) has been gaining a lot of well-deserved attention in the Arizona Fall League, as he leads the league in numerous categories halfway through the season. Thomas Harding is the latest to chronicle O’Dowd’s Arizona experience, and includes interviews with some Rockies coaches about his incredible 2026 season.

Strike 3: Will there be positive changes to the way the Rockies handle pitching? | Mile High Sports

Mark Knudson has been calling for the Rockies to fire Alon Leichman since the day he was hired, and got his wish last week. He once again suggests Jason Hirsh as a replacement, and recommends that the Rockies employ “piggybacking” more, especially with players like Tanner Gordon and Ryan Feltner.

It Still Makes Sense for the Rockies to Trade Hunter Goodman | Just Baseball

The Rockies made a few moves at the 2026 trade deadline, but ultimately decided to retain two-time All-Star Hunter Goodman. It was a debated move at the time — both leading up to the deadline and in the immediate aftermath — but the noise hasn’t quieted down, especially after Goodman became the first Rockie since 2019 to hit 40+ home runs. Cristian Crespo makes his case for why the Rockies should trade Goodman.

Around MLB

Jennie Finch Empowerment Award recipients take center stage at World Series | MLB.com

Former Olympic medalist Jennie Finch started the Empowerment Award in 2019 as a way to honor girls who excel at MLB’s softball events. Each winner receives a $10,000 scholarship and recognition during the pregame ceremony ahead of Game 2 of the World Series. This year, Alina Elias, Kayleigh Allen, Janiya Pillow and Amarianna Hill (who was unable to attend) were honored.

Manfred: Rays-Brewers World Series good for game, but salary cap still needed | ESPN

While we’re in the midst of an excellent World Series, there is still an unfortunate cloud hanging over it as the labor dispute and lockout are still expected in a little over a month. Jesse Rogers asked MLB commissioner Rob Manfred his thoughts on the small market World Series and while Manfred thinks it is good for the sport, he still believes the owners should pursue a salary cap. Interim executive director of the MLBPA also offered his thoughts, saying any team can accomplish what Milwaukee and Tampa Bay have, but also noted that winning might not be sustainable without spending.

How the Rays can send the World Series back to Milwaukee | MLB.com

The Milwaukee Brewers are up 2-0 as the World Series heads south to Tampa Bay. Adam Berry breaks down how the Rays can even the series and push it back to America’s Dairyland:

1. Ride the rotation
2. Clean it up
3. Build the bridge

Brewers’ Aaron Ashby thrives in World Series as a reliever, dreams of being a starter | The Athletic ($)

Aaron Ashby has been thriving in the Brewers’ bullpen, despite wanting to make a push for the starting rotation. Across 15.2 innings in eight appearances in October, Ashby has yet to allow a run and has given up just five hits and three walks while punching out 17. That is the second-most in MLB history to begin a postseason behind Andrew Miller in 2016 for the Cleveland Guardians.

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